Senior Discounts?

boman47k

How many give senior discounts.

Got a call from a lady about a 12 X 14 room. She had attempted to remove wallpaper from one wall. This couple is in their 70's with some health problems. She bought Behr paint about 6 months ago. She mentioned some guys that work for the fire dept that do things on their off days. I explained to her my dislike of Behr. She says she has no choice since she already has it.
"But, they sell so much of it."

I failed to ask if she had a budget in mind. I told her I would come and look at the project.

Normally I would not be seeking advice on this, but I'm thinking I would like to do a job in this area and hopefully get some referrals.

I tried to explain when you remove paper, it may involve skimming the wall, etc. Not sure she got that. She seems to think the board is in pretty good shape. I think I may be wasting my time. I really wish I had handled it differently when she mentioned the firemen, but I didn't. Now I feel obligated to at least have a look at the job since I told her I would. I rather make a wasted trip that might turn into work than not show up after saying I would be there at an appointed time.

That being said, do any of you give senior discounts?

Workaholic

Just go on in there and give a normal bid. A seinor discount is a good marketing gimick. So mention at the end of your meeting that you offering a seinor discount at this time and write it in your proposal.

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Sean

progressive-pa.

i second that. discounts are great for advertising, but thats it. old folk love to hagle so you may wana express that the price is already discounted do to the situation and how much you "really just wana help them" lol.. have fun on this one. looks like they woulda been happy with the hard hats painting right over the glue, and saying "it'll do"..

harness

did she stop because the paper was not pealing easy or because their was a big heave dresser or armor in the way

boman47k

Something about not being able to reach that high.
I think a lot of people decide reaching high is no something they want to do when removing wp.

And I do need to get over wanting to help some folks out sometime....I guess.

boman47k

Got the call justa little while ago. She called to let me know she had someone else to come look at it this evening and that they were going to do it. My appointment was tomorrow at 10 am. She had told she was going to get more than one estimate. Heheh, so be it.
My wife told me if someone told her her paint was no good she may have done the same thing.
I responded with a few things I considered red flags anyway : (1) 6 month old flat Behr (still had not received her "$10 rebate"), (2) off-duty firemen, (3) dw seems to be in good shape ,even with paint over wp that she had tried to remove and needed someone to remove (4) more things to do a little later.

My biggest mistake may have been mentioning the possibility of having to skim the wall ( almost certain imho). I think maybe I should have waited until we were face to face to explain that. I was trying to prepare her for the scope of work that may be necessary to do a satisfactory job.
That and maybe not taking a look at it today. I was not aware she would "get other estimates" and make a dedcision today. I told my wifey I did not think this was the type customer I was looking for. With that being said, I was going to go and try to work it in such a way that I could furnish the paint and get away from using the Behr, but thinking of it as a practice run in all reality.

P.S. Maybe she caught a fireman on his off day.

threaderman

I give a 5% discount and always go the extra mile but at their age they may not remember to refer us!

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Joe ---International Code Council Member

Your plumbing & gas specialist proudly serving Oklahoma City OK, Moore, Warr-acres, Norman, Midwest City, Edmond, Bethany, Forest Park

Chris Johnson

They have more money then you and I put together, they worked and saved for the past 50 years, for what? A discount, charge them full rate.

Maybe my attitude is why I don't have to do customer service work like you guys...sorry

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Chris

boman47k

HEHEH, good point!

Chris, good for you man. I am not so low that I will be the lowest even if I did give a slight discount. I did check their home out online to get what the county had it appraised at. Pretty nice home. It was not a mansion, so please don't dock me a point for being willing to at least take a look at it.

But since you seem to be a little psychic*, could you tell me if their retirement has been affected in any way by the financial happenings of late? Nice homes and nice cars do not mean money eveytime. This is especially true right now imo.

I know some people who do not have near the cash flow they had a few weeks ago. Heard any rumors about a stock market crash lately??

Chris Johnson

Stock market crash, real estate down, etc., etc., it's only on paper.

Is my house worth less than what it was 2 years ago? Only if I was trying to sell it today. As far as I am concerned it is worth what I paid, cause that's what I paid.

If you pull all your cash out of the market after it crashes, yes, you lost money, leave it there and it will grow again and you have not lost anything.

I know more people who are making more money since retirement then they made working full time all there life, even today. Why? Smart investments, knowing how long to hold and when to fold.

If someone needs a senior discount, you are a fool for giving it to them, mind you someone always will. The discount you give them today is just money saved for them that stays in the bank and goes to someone else when they die. Your younger and able bodied, but times are tough, cash flow is down, your stove breaks and you can't feed your family, is the Maytag guy giving you a discount because your situation is bleak? NO, why do seniors get a discount?

Who started this senior discount anyways? I understand the 'Happy Hour' meals before 5, it's across the board no matter what your age, but if I eat dinner with my parents at 8:00 at night and we eat the same meal why is theirs cheaper? We had the same steak from the same cow, the same potatos from Idaho, but there's is cheaper. Did Manuel Labor in the kitchen offer his employer a discount because my parents were seniors and he was cooking there meal? NO.

Sorry about the rant, just my opinion.

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Chris

boman47k

I feel a lot of it is on paper, money that was never really there. But, I know a teacher whose cash flow was cut about 2500 to 300 per month according to her. This real money.
I did say I was interested in getting to work in this area. A discount, if any, would be explained as an introductory offer to maybe get my name circulated in an area I have not worked in. That being said, I shot myself in the foot about a week ago with this concept. The mileage and the partial days beat me up.

WisePainter

I figure an amount in my head that is far lower than it should be, but not free.






and that is fine with me.

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My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

Chris Johnson

Okay Boman...you go bit, you answered your own question now...no discount

You want referrals, offer the 'discount', they refer you to their friend in the subdivision saying 'Call Boman, he only charges $ 500.00 per room', you show up and quote $ 600.00 and the friend starts thinking you are ripping them off, calls up the referer and starts saying you are trying to jack them off, price is higher then what they paid, ladedadeda, your out.

Hold your ground, keep your price, consider this customer a one shot deal, if you do get a referral, great, that's a bonus.






Why am I in the painting forum...I'm a concrete guy

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Chris

boman47k

Chris, I know what you mean. That is why I stated any discount would be explained as an introductory price to help me get started in an area.

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Chris

No matter if you are selling popcycles, same principle. Appreciate the feedback, even the comment about "customer service work"...I think.

threaderman

I guess I am a bad business model because I feel I want to try a little harder than the average person to keep our society compassionate and humane,it doesn't all have to be tit for tat.Do I get breaks from anyone,not really,and I don't ask,but I try not to be bitter.
I give senoirs 5% because anyone who has battled for 65+ yrs. deserves it in my opinion.
I give military 5% because I understand the finacial constraints on military people ,I was there.
I give Handicapped individuals 5% because most that I work with can really use a break.
I pay my help well because I never was.
Most of all I do this because that is what God would want me to do.
Sorry to bring religion into it.

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Joe ---International Code Council Member

Your plumbing & gas specialist proudly serving Oklahoma City OK, Moore, Warr-acres, Norman, Midwest City, Edmond, Bethany, Forest Park

boman47k

No apologies necessary!

Small price to pay for what some of these folks have done for us. I know for a fact that some older people are not as well off as others think just because they have a few rental houses and two or three decent vehicles. Big difference in being comfortable and wealthy.

Glad to see your response Threaderman!

painterdude

it's a good idea to try to explain it. If you can eyeball the job and give them different senarios and what they will cost it can only help you. If you get the job great. If not it sounds like you might learn something. If these lowballers F-up the job they might call you to correct it. In time you'll learn how to read people, old, young, know it alls etc. As you do, sometimes you just have to say...hey, I can't do it the right way for what you wanna pay. wish them good luck and leave. pd

BACKWOODS

I give a 10% labor discount. I sleep well at night and get lots of referrals. I have tracked it and have over 40K worth of business this year alone from the folks passing along my name, that they got treated well, and a fair price. I will take the 90% of 40K every day, every year

Chris Johnson

Don't get me wrong guys, I am not bitter about seniors, military, disabled or anyone for that matter.

What does make me bitter is the ones that demand it and the ones who demand it sure has hell don't need it.

The big issue I see with the discount is chances are you are applying the discount to the bottom line, this means you have just given a discount on materials as well as labor. Your supplier doesn't care who gets the paint, a gallon is a gallon regardless if a yuppie in San Francisco is getting it or a retired person in Phoenix.

Your discount you gave away just cost you money, not just your time, cash that you paid for the materials.

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Chris

threaderman

That's a good point Chris,I should have stated we give the discount on labor only .

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Joe ---International Code Council Member

Your plumbing & gas specialist proudly serving Oklahoma City OK, Moore, Warr-acres, Norman, Midwest City, Edmond, Bethany, Forest Park